Camera traps installed at certain places
WII scientists arrive, start investigation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 02 2018: Two scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) arrived here this afternoon and they have already started investigation into the killing spree by mysterious predators witnessed in different parts of the State since sometime back.

Soon after their arrival at Imphal, senior scientist Dr Gopi GB and camera trap expert Iso Sharma Adhikarimayum held a meeting with PCCF K Angami, CCF (Wildlife) Anurag Vajpayee, CCF Th Mohendra Pratap and other officials concerned at the Sanjenthong Forest office.

During the meeting, Forest Department officials presented a detail report on the killing of domestic animals by unknown predators at different places across the State.

Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Anurag Vajpayee said that the WII scientists would help in solving the mysterious killings.

The scientists would visit the places where domestic animals were found mauled and killed, and they would study the carcasses.

Camera traps installed at certain places

Moreover, camera traps would be installed at vulnerable places, Anurag said.

As of now, it cannot be said with any degree of certainty whether it is wild animals or pet dogs which are killing domestic animals at different places, he continued.

He said that a dog which killed a duck was caught at Chingmeirong at around 11.30 pm yesterday.

The dog caught by Forest officials in association with NGOs using a trap is a lac-tating one and it is being kept in the custody of People for Animals, Manipur.

Dr Gopi GB said that the killing spree reported from different parts of Manipur recently is quite natural and a similar incident took place at Odisha last year.

There are stark similarities between what was seen Odisha last year and what is happening now in Manipur but the number of animals killed in Odisha was greater, Dr Gopi said.

Saying that the killing of domestic animals in Odisha were by Indian Wolves as established later, Dr Gopi said that the truth behind the killing spree as witnessed currently in Manipur would be established sooner or later.

He said that they study case by visiting the places where domestic animals were killed by the unknown predators.

Camera traps would also be laid at vulnerable places, he added.

Explaining that killing of poultry ducks enmasse is known as Surplus Killing in biological term, Dr Gopi said that predators instinctively teach their young ones hunting.

It is possible that predators attacked poultry ducks as their preys or food become scarce in jungles.

A number of fabricated or morphed pictures and videos of animals which were circulated during the killing spree in Odisha are being circulated in social media in Manipur at present, he added.

PCCF K Angami appealed to all the people to stop searching or hunting wild animals in the name of searching the unknown predators.

Meanwhile a jungle cat which was caught from the rooftop of a house at Hiyangthang last night has been handed over to Manipur Zoological Garden after it was handed over to People for Animals.

The WII scientists went to Sangaiprou Mamang Leikai today and laid three camera traps there.

They would go to different places tomorrow.

On the other hand, the PCCF has written to the DGP to take up necessary measures to check circulation of fabricated or morphed pictures and videos in social media in connection with the mysterious killing of domestic animals.